A case of alleged fraud, described as “disturbing,” has emerged from Appelsbosch Hospital, where three nurses are accused of fraudulently taking out life insurance policies on a patient and collecting nearly R200,000 following his death.
The victim has been identified as Nduduzo Mbatha, a 24-year-old patient at the hospital. According to a sworn statement from a specialist forensic investigator at Assupol Insurance, the three nurses, who have since resigned from the hospital, opened the policies on Mbatha without his or his family’s knowledge.
The scheme was uncovered by chance, according to the Mbatha family. Details reveal that Mbatha passed away on November 2, 2022. Merely four days later, on November 6, the three nurses are alleged to have filed a claim with the insurance company.
According to the forensic investigator’s report, the nurses initially claimed the deceased was their nephew to justify the policies. The investigation found that two of the nurses successfully received payouts. One received R54,000 and a second received R58,000. A third nurse had her premiums refunded after an assessment determined she was not related to Mbatha.
The parents of Nduduzo Mbatha state they never gave consent for their son to be insured by the healthcare workers. The family is now calling for a full investigation, including the exhumation of their son’s body to seek further clarity on the circumstances. They are also demanding answers as to how the nurses obtained his personal details and used them for financial gain.
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health has confirmed awareness of the matter, stating they will be engaging with the family and will release a report at a later stage.
The KZN Police has confirmed that a case of fraud has been opened. However, as of now, no arrests have been made and no one has been formally charged in connection with the case.
Attempts to reach the three former nurses for comment were unsuccessful. Two of the nurses declined to comment, while the third could not be reached by phone.
The incident has raised serious questions about the protocols insurance companies use to verify relationships and consent when policies are taken out on individuals, particularly those who are critically ill in hospital.